Plot

To make up for not getting a present for Gumball's birthday, Richard gives him a knockoff video game console called "Game Child," which he got from the Awesome Store. Gumball is slightly disappointed, but Richard reminds him how everything in their home is a knockoff of something and leaves the room. Gumball turns on the console to discover the game Inverted Paradox: The Enemy Within, a JRPG. When Gumball starts the game and selects to go to the bedroom, he finds the world around him starting to pixelate into blackness which terrifies him.

When the screen is back up, Gumball finds himself in his room, where Darwin asks him what his name is. Gumball looks at the screen and realizes, to his delight, that he has trapped the town inside a video game. He calls himself MYBUTT, causing Darwin and Anais' dialogue to sound funnier. Darwin and Anais join Gumball to fix the universe that Gumball messed up by turning on the video game.

They walk outside and encounter a shrub blocking their path. After seeing their limited options, Gumball kicks the shrub, forcing the team to go into battle with a large, flower monster. Gumball acts overconfident before being damaged by the monster. Anais suggests damaging the creature with fire and activates Science, where she mixes two chemicals and throws it at the monster, which burns it away and gives the trio the victory. When they enter back into the neighborhood, they find out that the monster was Leslie, who was briefly changed into the monster after buying some fertilizer from the Awesome Store. When they get tired of Leslie talking, Gumball uses the dialogue box to knock him out and the three run away.

They go to Mr. Robinson's house, where Gumball starts looting the place since he can get away with it in JRPGs, and grab the old man's VHS player. Despite Anais and Darwin objecting, Gumball is proven right when Mr. Robinson tells them that they may take whatever they need for their quest. Gumball then steals money from his wallet and takes a break by sleeping on his bed.

The siblings go outside and discuss possible outfit options for Anais. Gumball bumps into Penny, who challenges them to a fight with an electronic object stuck to her head. Gumball refuses to fight her, but Darwin tells him that it is the only way they can progress. As Penny charges her attack, Gumball tries to calm her down by giving her the VHS player as a gift, which unintentionally knocks Penny out and gives the team a bittersweet victory. Penny, now with a dented head, thanks Gumball for saving her, explaining that she was possessed by a cellphone bought at the Awesome Store. She then gives it to Gumball to help him on his quest, as he can use it to summon allies to the battlefield. Gumball apologizes to Penny for disfiguring her with the VHS player and gives her a kiss before they leave. Penny passes out shortly afterwards.

They find Alison, whom Darwin thinks has a clue for them. She asks Gumball to find her missing pigeons, which are all over the town. Gumball is distraught, as the tedious sidequest preys on his gamer weakness of the need to 100% complete the game. After finding all the pigeons and becoming a fat nerd, Gumball receives the "No Life" trophy.

In the world map, Darwin spots the Awesome Store to the west under a thunder cloud. Gumball suggests that the three grind by defeating menial enemies to improve their stats. After defeating some small woodland creatures in the park, they take out some bystanders to increase their levels enough to take on the Awesome Store. Once they finish, they resume their quest.

The siblings arrive at the mall parking lot, where Gumball panics as he forgot to save before starting the cutscene to take on the Awesome Store. The Van Shopkeeper greets them and begins explaining something, but the children don't listen and immediately destroy the van. The Shopkeeper tells them that he is not the enemy and that the Game Child is the true villain of the game. The console comes to life and challenges the trio to one, final battle.

The last boss turns out to be very powerful, as it knocks the three of them down to 1 HP with one attack. Gumball tells Anais that if they lose, they either die in the real world, or have to restart the game from the beginning. While avoiding the lasers from the Game Child, Darwin suggests using their potion, but Gumball ends up throwing it at Game Child instead. Anais suggests using the phone to summon allies in battle. Gumball activates it, allowing him to summon Sarah, Hector, Banana Joe, Carrie, Granny Jojo, Nicole, and Richard to defeat the Game Child once and for all. After one last victory pose, the game's end credits start. Anais and Darwin are glad that it is over, but Gumball is dissatisfied that he only achieved 89% completion. When it offers Gumball the option to start a new game, Anais and Darwin desperately try to stop him as he presses "Yes" on the screen, ending the episode.

When Gumball, Anais, and Darwin momentarily go into a fully pixelated town, the town looks similar to the one used in the promotional video for the Japanese ending theme song for The Amazing World of Gumball.

In the dialogue sequence where Gumball, Darwin, and Anais grow "anime hair," Gumball and Darwin's resemble the haircuts of Cloud and Sephiroth, while Anais' resemble the haircut of Rizelea from Trinity Universe, along with a resemblance of Sakura from Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.

The episode's theme and the battle music of Inverted Paradox: The Enemy Within is extremely similar to the battle theme, "Let the Battles Begin!"

The victory fanfare of the Final Fantasy series is also referenced.

Several attacks used on the final boss are references to attacks in the Final Fantasy series.

Banana Joe's pose is a reference to the Cactuar creature, and the attack "Thousand Blows" is the Cactuar's signature move, "1000 Needles."

The final attack when Gumball uses the phone to summon all his friends is a parody of Ultimate End, the strongest Summon in Final Fantasy VII. Both attacks involve a myriad of characters ganging up on an enemy.

The Living Room

[Gumball is lying on the couch reading a comic book. Richard approaches with a sly smile]

Richard: Ahem.

Gumball: [Annoyed] What?

Richard: Remember your last birthday present?

Gumball: [Sarcastically] How can I forget? My present was an IOU.

Richard: Well, I'm afraid I'm gonna need that back.

Gumball: [Sighs and sits up] Really?

[Gumball holds out the IOU, which Richard takes and rips in half]

Richard: Because... [Pulls out a handheld gaming console from behind his back]

Gumball: [Screams excitedly and takes the console] You got me a Game... [Looks at the front of the console, which is labeled GameChild™] ...Child? [Turns the console over] Made in Chainor? This is such a knock-off even the country it was made in is a knock-off! [Sighs] Did you buy it from the back of that van?

Richard: Yeah, the Awesome Store. What's the problem? Everything we have is a knock-off. Our TV? It's a Soppy. Only two letters different, but that never stopped you from watching it. Your superhero, Badman, he's a knock-off too. But you love his morally dubious adventures. Even our doctor only has a doctorate in fine arts, [Lifts up his shirt to reveal stitches in the shape of a fruit plate] but he did a great job on my appendix scar.

Gumball: Okay, thungs.

Richard: What?

Gumball: That's knock-off for thanks.

Richard: [Turns to leave] That's the spirit. [Walks out of the room]

[Ping! console turns on]

Gumball: "Inverted Paradox: The Enemy Within?" [Sighs] JRPG titles never make sense; They're just random words thrown together. The fashion equivalent would be wearing a Hawaiian shirt, ski boots and a top hat. Actually that does explain how the characters normally look.

[Gumball dials his friends and family. Sarah is summoned, and she uses BRAIN FREEZE: she uses her head and freezes it, taking out 999 health points. Hector is summoned and uses PSYCHE!: he is about to punch it, but instead flicks it, taking out 999 health. Banana Joe is summoned; he uses THOUSAND BLOWS: he shoots thousands of blows, each taking 100s of health. Carrie is summoned; she uses STOP HITTING YOURSELF: she possesses the console and hits itself numerous times, each hit taking 100 health. Granny Jojo is summoned; she uses GIVE US A KISS: she uses her dentures to attack it, taking out 999 health. Nicole is summoned; she uses I'M NOT ANGRY JUST DISAPPOINTED: she stares at it with a very stern look, surprisingly taking out 999 health. The camera zooms out, showing a giant Richard in the background. Scene cuts to space, where Richard uses RING OF FIRE: he eats power and farts out a ray of light at it. Gumball presses the phone, and the console screeches as it dies. The battle ends; Gumball, Darwin, and Anais do a victory dance. The game cuts to the credits, displaying the text: INVERTED PARADOX THE ENEMY WITHIN, CREDITS: Directed by: Ben Bocquelet." Scene abruptly cuts to Gumball, Darwin and Anais back in reality, on the couch]

Back to Reality

Gumball: Ah, no one cares about the credits. "Congratulations, you completed the game at eighty-nine percent."

Darwin and Anais: Yay!

Gumball: What do you mean, eighty-nine percent? "Do you want to start a new game?"